Aslan Star City second district, Blue Mountain Prison, where serious offenders were detained.
The interrogation room was dimly lit, with the head of the Brandon family locked in a chair, wailing with tears and snot streaming down his face.
“I really don’t know, I’ve already confessed everything I know, I really don’t know anything else, ah great commander…!”
“Back then, when Gerhard Laurent extended an olive branch to the Brandon family, I, I was blinded by the power and prestige in the hands of the Prime Minister and have been helping that guy ever since…”
Murky tears streamed down old Brandon’s face, which resembled tree bark, as he stretched his neck and cried out, “But as for treason, the Brandon family truly didn’t know!”
Behind the one-way mirror, Chen Hanke stroked his chin, now sprouting white stubble.
Old Brandon continued to shout incoherently, his bulky body making the chair clatter loudly.
The interrogator stepped out of the room, bowed, and said in a low voice, “Great Commander, it seems we can’t pry anything more out of Brandon.”
“Hmm,” Old Marshal Chen pondered in silence.
Since the New Year’s turmoil, the Crystal Cult was overnight labeled as a reactionary force, and a great purge was carried out within the nine star cities, with batch after batch of the Crystal Cult’s clergy put into prison.
There were not a few who rebelled and resisted, and it was said that the soldiers of the various star cities also shed a lot of blood. Fortunately, they did not encounter hard nuts like Sue and Margaret—also known as the “Bishop of Destruction” and the “Bishop of Death”—which were not worrying enough.
However, the most important suspect behind the rebellion, Gerhard Laurent, was still nowhere to be seen, and the mecha that fled outside Aslan Star City, carrying the two bishops…
Old Marshal Chen rubbed his temples with a headache, as this was one of the issues that had to be addressed at the upcoming military conference.
He waved his hand to signal the interrogator, “Continue the interrogation, make Brandon spit out all the memories related to Laurent over the years.”
The interrogator saluted, “Yes!”
“Do you know what ‘all’ means?” the old man squinted his eyes, which twinkled with sharpness, “It means, even which ring Laurent wore on which day of the month, what brand of red wine he drank, and even the underwear he wore on his butt—if he knows—should all be recorded for me.”
The interrogator’s face tensed, and his voice rose, “Yes!”
Old Marshal Chen nodded in satisfaction, turned around with his hands behind his back, and left the interrogation room, walking out of Blue Mountain Prison.
****
After lunch, at two o’clock in the afternoon. By the time Old Marshal Chen returned to the military headquarters, Ryann and Jiang Jianming had just arrived from the Golden Sun wheel Building.
Sitting in the spacious office, Old Marshal Chen drank his coffee and got straight to the point. “Both of you are aware of the news. Tomorrow morning at nine, we will hold an emergency interstellar military conference.”
“Yes,” Jiang Jianming replied softly.
“Hmm, the attendees of this meeting will be high-ranking generals, especially the three highest-ranking officers from the Silver Big Dipper at the Far Star Three Fortresses and the nine highest-ranking officers from the Golden Sun Wheel in the Empire’s Nine Star Cities. The crown prince, who has returned from the dead, also needs to make an appearance, and—”
Chen Hanke pointed to his nose, “Here, this old person in front of you.”
“Each general can bring one or two people with them, basically bringing subordinates they want to cultivate, and there are also those who prefer not to bring anyone. Roughly counting, there will be about thirty to forty people.”
Ryann immediately pulled Jiang Jianming to his side, as if marking his territory. “He will follow me.”
Old Marshal Chen chuckled. “Of course, of course, but…”
The old man’s gaze thoughtfully fell on Jiang Jianming, “However, the Little Excellency’s current military rank is a bit modest. Since that kid Xie Yuduo has returned…”
“I’ll leave it all to your arrangement,” Jiang Jianming said with a gentle smile. He understood the marshal’s intention. This was to combine all his previous merits for a special promotion.
The temporary inspector was just a temporary title, and according to military rank, he was still a lieutenant of the Silver Big Dipper, but it was unknown to which rank he would be promoted.
“Look at you, kid, not being moved by honor or disgrace is not quite the attitude, as if the empire is begging you to be promoted…”
Old Marshal Chen glared at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement, then theatrically took out a document from the drawer, which was clearly prepared in advance.
“Silver Big Dipper Interstellar Expeditionary Force, First Legion, Lieutenant Jiang Jianming.”
The old man cleared his throat and put on a solemn face. “First, he uncovered the conspiracy of space pirates on the alien planet, and later, he solved the Crystal Cult’s disturbance in the imperial capital. With both wisdom and courage, steadfast character, and commendable achievements.”
“After review by the military department and by the imperial decree of Her Majesty the Emperor, he is granted the military rank of the Golden Sun Wheel and is specially promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Golden Sun Wheel.”
Jiang Jianming’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
He had actually made the corresponding mental preparations, but to be promoted directly from lieutenant to colonel…
He’s been promoted to a rank higher than what was initially agreed upon. Such a rapid promotion would send shockwaves throughout the entire empire.
“Congratulations, Little Excellency.”
After Old Marshal Chen finished his lines, he dropped his serious facade and smiled with squinted eyes. “You are the youngest colonel in the history of the empire.”
“Next up is the rank of senior colonel, and after another promotion, you could become a general. For that, you need to gain some experience, at least officially lead troops through a few battles…”
“He doesn’t have time,” the prince next to him suddenly interjected coldly.
Ryann’s gaze was deep, “Can’t you vacate this chair earlier, teacher?” (TL: meaning the Commander-in-chief position)
Jiang Jianming helplessly replied, “Your Highness.”
Unperturbed, Old Marshal Chen took out a chip box from the same drawer and handed it to Ryann. “I almost forgot, this contains the files of all the generals, Your Highness.”
“Your next task—before the meeting, memorize the faces and names so that you don’t make any mistakes during the meeting.”
Ryann: “……”
****
That evening, within the White Jade Palace, the esteemed crown prince and the non crystal officer, whom he regarded as his own, could only spend their time memorizing files and preparing materials.
Most of the work still fell on the heir apparent. Jiang Jianming was helping him, but unfortunately, the electronic clock started ticking away after ten o’clock.
When the time came, Ryann decisively lifted his head from his work and urged the sick person to go to sleep.
“…I never had such a regular schedule when I was in the military academy, Your Highness.”
As he was laid flat on the bed, Jiang Jianming spoke as if he had lost all will to live.
The bedside lamp shone gently, Ryann held a small optical computer in his left hand, his eyes still on the text on the virtual screen, “That’s your problem.”
But his right hand unquestionably tucked Jiang Jianming in, patting through the blanket, “Go to sleep.”
Jiang Jianming: “You’re being unreasonable. It’s painful for me to adjust my biological clock…Besides, sleeping at ten and waking up at eight, that’s a schedule for kindergarten kids.”
Ryann: “It’s also the schedule recommended by the doctor. Or you can choose to be hospitalized, and I’ll go handle the procedures tomorrow morning.”
Jiang Jianming immediately closed his eyes and feigned death.
He then heard Ryann laugh softly, then sit down beside the bed, continuing to pat him rhythmically with his palm.
…In this day and age, even mothers rarely soothe their children this way, with countless “baby-soothing rocking chairs” and “hypnotic patting robots” available on the market.
Yet his Little Highness not only felt no shame but seemed to enjoy it. As if he was convinced that this was a necessary comfort for the sick disabled human.
“……”
Jiang Jianming buried half of his face in the soft pillow, sneakily opening his eyes a slit to watch.
Under the orange-yellow halo, Ryann’s seated figure appeared especially peaceful, even the shadows on the blanket looked as if they were drawn with a soft charcoal pencil, tender to the point of unreality.
Unreality belonged to dreams, and good dreams did not last long…Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but think this way, so as not to indulge himself too much.
But that long-lost feeling of happiness, without barriers or reservations, simply being loved purely by a lover, still surged out bit by bit, silently softening his hardened heart.
And so, he sank into a beautiful dream.
Jiang Jianming couldn’t believe it himself. He was actually patted to sleep by Ryann, and he slept incredibly comfortably until the next day dawned.
It was still the two of them, getting up, washing up. Breakfast was toast, fried eggs, sweet milk, and candied apples. Jiang Jianming had to be watched by Ryann to finish all his medicine, then they dressed in military uniform and formal attire, respectively.
Then, under the faint sunlight, they drove an air vehicle. The windows were made of special anti-peeping glass, allowing the esteemed heir apparent to sit in the driver’s seat.
Jiang Jianming had to rest with his eyes closed in the back seat—today, they had to rush to a meeting, and he had woken up half an hour earlier than scheduled, so the prince said he needed to make up for it.
When they disembarked from the air vehicle, bright silver sunlight spread over them in an instant.
At the entrance of the military headquarters, several important figures in military uniforms were coming and going, and the number of guards was twice the usual.
Jiang Jianming was not fully awake yet, and he felt a sense of temporal disorientation—
He thought he must be out of his mind to hallucinate an afternoon from three summers ago on such a cold winter morning, even though there was no similarity other than the location.
Stumbling a step, he accidentally bumped into Ryann’s shoulder.
The crown prince immediately turned around alertly, supporting his arm. “What’s wrong…”
Jiang Jianming gave a bitter smile, waving his hand embarrassedly. “I’m dizzy from sleep, I told you this wouldn’t work.”
Ryann didn’t let go of him, and spoke in a low voice. “Go inside and sleep.”
Old Marshal Chen had already arranged for a special guard team to escort them, and the two walked through the main entrance, ignoring the distant gazes from all around, without encountering any trouble.
The interstellar remote conference operates on the principle of using military communication equipment to share the projections of the participants, creating the effect of people separated by millions of miles gathering together.
Due to their status, Jiang Jianming and Ryann did not join the generals they had just seen but instead opened another conference room for just the two of them.
Inside the room was a device half the height of a person, flashing a green light indicating normal operation.
Jiang Jianming pulled out a chair to sit down, and Ryann took over the terminal patch, frowning and gesturing in front of Jiang Jianming’s eyes, swinging it hesitantly, saying, “No non crystal race has used this device before, if…”
“Can this even differentiate between races? You’re almost there, give it to me…” Jiang Jianming didn’t know whether to laugh and cry, taking it and sticking it on his temple, “Press the switch.”
The crown prince pressed the switch, and Jiang Jianming closed his eyes.
A tingling sensation like an electric current suddenly came from the terminal patch, making Jiang Jianming feel dizzy, similar to the sensation of weightlessness.
Immediately after, a wonderful change occurred in his senses—
Even though his eyes were closed, his “vision” seemed to emerge from the darkness with various patches of color, like a jigsaw puzzle.
These patches of color assembled into a complete scene within two or three seconds: The appearance of a spacious conference hall. The space was vast, with tables arranged in an oval shape, each accompanied by chairs and screens.
And he himself, who should be sitting in a conference room at the military headquarters in reality, was now sitting at one of the tables in the hall.
Jiang Jianming marveled at the technology in his heart. The virtual space was dark around the edges, but the central standing dark blue giant virtual screen provided illumination, and the small screens in front of each table also emitted light, making the view quite clear.
Now, one after another, full-body projections were gradually “appearing” at their respective seats.
Some wore the uniforms of the Golden Sun Wheel or the Silver Big Dipper, while others wore the standard uniforms of other legions, but all were dignified generals, mostly middle-aged and elderly.
—Importantly, these people’s faces were all familiar because he had just memorized their files the night before.
Jiang Jianming was intently observing when his hand was grasped. He could tell that this was a touch from the real world.
Ryann sat next to him, his platinum curls shining brightly. He turned to him unabashedly and asked, “This is the virtual space where the meeting will take place next, how do you feel?”
Jiang Jianming said, “It’s amazing, I don’t feel any discomfort.”
He looked around again, sensing a somewhat solemn atmosphere, thinking that something special might be discussed at this meeting.
He also noticed that two of the three seats on the side of the Silver Big Dipper were occupied, but Major General Xie seemed to be absent.
Jiang Jianming was a bit worried, so he asked His Highness in a low voice.
Ryann pondered for two seconds and succinctly said, “Don’t worry, he’s often late.”
Aslan Star City second district, Blue Mountain Prison, where serious offenders were detained.
The interrogation room was dimly lit, with the head of the Brandon family locked in a chair, wailing with tears and snot streaming down his face.
“I really don’t know, I’ve already confessed everything I know, I really don’t know anything else, ah great commander…!”
“Back then, when Gerhard Laurent extended an olive branch to the Brandon family, I, I was blinded by the power and prestige in the hands of the Prime Minister and have been helping that guy ever since…”
Murky tears streamed down old Brandon’s face, which resembled tree bark, as he stretched his neck and cried out, “But as for treason, the Brandon family truly didn’t know!”
Behind the one-way mirror, Chen Hanke stroked his chin, now sprouting white stubble.
Old Brandon continued to shout incoherently, his bulky body making the chair clatter loudly.
The interrogator stepped out of the room, bowed, and said in a low voice, “Great Commander, it seems we can’t pry anything more out of Brandon.”
“Hmm,” Old Marshal Chen pondered in silence.
Since the New Year’s turmoil, the Crystal Cult was overnight labeled as a reactionary force, and a great purge was carried out within the nine star cities, with batch after batch of the Crystal Cult’s clergy put into prison.
There were not a few who rebelled and resisted, and it was said that the soldiers of the various star cities also shed a lot of blood. Fortunately, they did not encounter hard nuts like Sue and Margaret—also known as the “Bishop of Destruction” and the “Bishop of Death”—which were not worrying enough.
However, the most important suspect behind the rebellion, Gerhard Laurent, was still nowhere to be seen, and the mecha that fled outside Aslan Star City, carrying the two bishops…
Old Marshal Chen rubbed his temples with a headache, as this was one of the issues that had to be addressed at the upcoming military conference.
He waved his hand to signal the interrogator, “Continue the interrogation, make Brandon spit out all the memories related to Laurent over the years.”
The interrogator saluted, “Yes!”
“Do you know what ‘all’ means?” the old man squinted his eyes, which twinkled with sharpness, “It means, even which ring Laurent wore on which day of the month, what brand of red wine he drank, and even the underwear he wore on his butt—if he knows—should all be recorded for me.”
The interrogator’s face tensed, and his voice rose, “Yes!”
Old Marshal Chen nodded in satisfaction, turned around with his hands behind his back, and left the interrogation room, walking out of Blue Mountain Prison.
****
After lunch, at two o’clock in the afternoon. By the time Old Marshal Chen returned to the military headquarters, Ryann and Jiang Jianming had just arrived from the Golden Sun wheel Building.
Sitting in the spacious office, Old Marshal Chen drank his coffee and got straight to the point. “Both of you are aware of the news. Tomorrow morning at nine, we will hold an emergency interstellar military conference.”
“Yes,” Jiang Jianming replied softly.
“Hmm, the attendees of this meeting will be high-ranking generals, especially the three highest-ranking officers from the Silver Big Dipper at the Far Star Three Fortresses and the nine highest-ranking officers from the Golden Sun Wheel in the Empire’s Nine Star Cities. The crown prince, who has returned from the dead, also needs to make an appearance, and—”
Chen Hanke pointed to his nose, “Here, this old person in front of you.”
“Each general can bring one or two people with them, basically bringing subordinates they want to cultivate, and there are also those who prefer not to bring anyone. Roughly counting, there will be about thirty to forty people.”
Ryann immediately pulled Jiang Jianming to his side, as if marking his territory. “He will follow me.”
Old Marshal Chen chuckled. “Of course, of course, but…”
The old man’s gaze thoughtfully fell on Jiang Jianming, “However, the Little Excellency’s current military rank is a bit modest. Since that kid Xie Yuduo has returned…”
“I’ll leave it all to your arrangement,” Jiang Jianming said with a gentle smile. He understood the marshal’s intention. This was to combine all his previous merits for a special promotion.
The temporary inspector was just a temporary title, and according to military rank, he was still a lieutenant of the Silver Big Dipper, but it was unknown to which rank he would be promoted.
“Look at you, kid, not being moved by honor or disgrace is not quite the attitude, as if the empire is begging you to be promoted…”
Old Marshal Chen glared at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement, then theatrically took out a document from the drawer, which was clearly prepared in advance.
“Silver Big Dipper Interstellar Expeditionary Force, First Legion, Lieutenant Jiang Jianming.”
The old man cleared his throat and put on a solemn face. “First, he uncovered the conspiracy of space pirates on the alien planet, and later, he solved the Crystal Cult’s disturbance in the imperial capital. With both wisdom and courage, steadfast character, and commendable achievements.”
“After review by the military department and by the imperial decree of Her Majesty the Emperor, he is granted the military rank of the Golden Sun Wheel and is specially promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Golden Sun Wheel.”
Jiang Jianming’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
He had actually made the corresponding mental preparations, but to be promoted directly from lieutenant to colonel…
He’s been promoted to a rank higher than what was initially agreed upon. Such a rapid promotion would send shockwaves throughout the entire empire.
“Congratulations, Little Excellency.”
After Old Marshal Chen finished his lines, he dropped his serious facade and smiled with squinted eyes. “You are the youngest colonel in the history of the empire.”
“Next up is the rank of senior colonel, and after another promotion, you could become a general. For that, you need to gain some experience, at least officially lead troops through a few battles…”
“He doesn’t have time,” the prince next to him suddenly interjected coldly.
Ryann’s gaze was deep, “Can’t you vacate this chair earlier, teacher?” (TL: meaning the Commander-in-chief position)
Jiang Jianming helplessly replied, “Your Highness.”
Unperturbed, Old Marshal Chen took out a chip box from the same drawer and handed it to Ryann. “I almost forgot, this contains the files of all the generals, Your Highness.”
“Your next task—before the meeting, memorize the faces and names so that you don’t make any mistakes during the meeting.”
Ryann: “……”
****
That evening, within the White Jade Palace, the esteemed crown prince and the non crystal officer, whom he regarded as his own, could only spend their time memorizing files and preparing materials.
Most of the work still fell on the heir apparent. Jiang Jianming was helping him, but unfortunately, the electronic clock started ticking away after ten o’clock.
When the time came, Ryann decisively lifted his head from his work and urged the sick person to go to sleep.
“…I never had such a regular schedule when I was in the military academy, Your Highness.”
As he was laid flat on the bed, Jiang Jianming spoke as if he had lost all will to live.
The bedside lamp shone gently, Ryann held a small optical computer in his left hand, his eyes still on the text on the virtual screen, “That’s your problem.”
But his right hand unquestionably tucked Jiang Jianming in, patting through the blanket, “Go to sleep.”
Jiang Jianming: “You’re being unreasonable. It’s painful for me to adjust my biological clock…Besides, sleeping at ten and waking up at eight, that’s a schedule for kindergarten kids.”
Ryann: “It’s also the schedule recommended by the doctor. Or you can choose to be hospitalized, and I’ll go handle the procedures tomorrow morning.”
Jiang Jianming immediately closed his eyes and feigned death.
He then heard Ryann laugh softly, then sit down beside the bed, continuing to pat him rhythmically with his palm.
…In this day and age, even mothers rarely soothe their children this way, with countless “baby-soothing rocking chairs” and “hypnotic patting robots” available on the market.
Yet his Little Highness not only felt no shame but seemed to enjoy it. As if he was convinced that this was a necessary comfort for the sick disabled human.
“……”
Jiang Jianming buried half of his face in the soft pillow, sneakily opening his eyes a slit to watch.
Under the orange-yellow halo, Ryann’s seated figure appeared especially peaceful, even the shadows on the blanket looked as if they were drawn with a soft charcoal pencil, tender to the point of unreality.
Unreality belonged to dreams, and good dreams did not last long…Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but think this way, so as not to indulge himself too much.
But that long-lost feeling of happiness, without barriers or reservations, simply being loved purely by a lover, still surged out bit by bit, silently softening his hardened heart.
And so, he sank into a beautiful dream.
Jiang Jianming couldn’t believe it himself. He was actually patted to sleep by Ryann, and he slept incredibly comfortably until the next day dawned.
It was still the two of them, getting up, washing up. Breakfast was toast, fried eggs, sweet milk, and candied apples. Jiang Jianming had to be watched by Ryann to finish all his medicine, then they dressed in military uniform and formal attire, respectively.
Then, under the faint sunlight, they drove an air vehicle. The windows were made of special anti-peeping glass, allowing the esteemed heir apparent to sit in the driver’s seat.
Jiang Jianming had to rest with his eyes closed in the back seat—today, they had to rush to a meeting, and he had woken up half an hour earlier than scheduled, so the prince said he needed to make up for it.
When they disembarked from the air vehicle, bright silver sunlight spread over them in an instant.
At the entrance of the military headquarters, several important figures in military uniforms were coming and going, and the number of guards was twice the usual.
Jiang Jianming was not fully awake yet, and he felt a sense of temporal disorientation—
He thought he must be out of his mind to hallucinate an afternoon from three summers ago on such a cold winter morning, even though there was no similarity other than the location.
Stumbling a step, he accidentally bumped into Ryann’s shoulder.
The crown prince immediately turned around alertly, supporting his arm. “What’s wrong…”
Jiang Jianming gave a bitter smile, waving his hand embarrassedly. “I’m dizzy from sleep, I told you this wouldn’t work.”
Ryann didn’t let go of him, and spoke in a low voice. “Go inside and sleep.”
Old Marshal Chen had already arranged for a special guard team to escort them, and the two walked through the main entrance, ignoring the distant gazes from all around, without encountering any trouble.
The interstellar remote conference operates on the principle of using military communication equipment to share the projections of the participants, creating the effect of people separated by millions of miles gathering together.
Due to their status, Jiang Jianming and Ryann did not join the generals they had just seen but instead opened another conference room for just the two of them.
Inside the room was a device half the height of a person, flashing a green light indicating normal operation.
Jiang Jianming pulled out a chair to sit down, and Ryann took over the terminal patch, frowning and gesturing in front of Jiang Jianming’s eyes, swinging it hesitantly, saying, “No non crystal race has used this device before, if…”
“Can this even differentiate between races? You’re almost there, give it to me…” Jiang Jianming didn’t know whether to laugh and cry, taking it and sticking it on his temple, “Press the switch.”
The crown prince pressed the switch, and Jiang Jianming closed his eyes.
A tingling sensation like an electric current suddenly came from the terminal patch, making Jiang Jianming feel dizzy, similar to the sensation of weightlessness.
Immediately after, a wonderful change occurred in his senses—
Even though his eyes were closed, his “vision” seemed to emerge from the darkness with various patches of color, like a jigsaw puzzle.
These patches of color assembled into a complete scene within two or three seconds: The appearance of a spacious conference hall. The space was vast, with tables arranged in an oval shape, each accompanied by chairs and screens.
And he himself, who should be sitting in a conference room at the military headquarters in reality, was now sitting at one of the tables in the hall.
Jiang Jianming marveled at the technology in his heart. The virtual space was dark around the edges, but the central standing dark blue giant virtual screen provided illumination, and the small screens in front of each table also emitted light, making the view quite clear.
Now, one after another, full-body projections were gradually “appearing” at their respective seats.
Some wore the uniforms of the Golden Sun Wheel or the Silver Big Dipper, while others wore the standard uniforms of other legions, but all were dignified generals, mostly middle-aged and elderly.
—Importantly, these people’s faces were all familiar because he had just memorized their files the night before.
Jiang Jianming was intently observing when his hand was grasped. He could tell that this was a touch from the real world.
Ryann sat next to him, his platinum curls shining brightly. He turned to him unabashedly and asked, “This is the virtual space where the meeting will take place next, how do you feel?”
Jiang Jianming said, “It’s amazing, I don’t feel any discomfort.”
He looked around again, sensing a somewhat solemn atmosphere, thinking that something special might be discussed at this meeting.
He also noticed that two of the three seats on the side of the Silver Big Dipper were occupied, but Major General Xie seemed to be absent.
Jiang Jianming was a bit worried, so he asked His Highness in a low voice.
Ryann pondered for two seconds and succinctly said, “Don’t worry, he’s often late.”
